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Newsom hit with lawsuit threat as whistleblower begs Trump for help with ‘monumental’ fraud scandal

August 30, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

DeMaio suggested that California’s fraud scandal makes the Minnesota look like ‘garden variety government mismanagement’

By Peter Pinedo Fox News

California Republicans are resisting a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom they are referring to as the “Stop Nick Shirley Act.”

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California’s “monumental problem” with rampant fraud is about to get significantly worse, according to Republican state Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that he warns will crack down on people investigating scammers.

Officially titled “Privacy for immigration support services providers,” the new law creates privacy protections for immigration support service providers, employees and volunteers, including shielding their addresses and imposing penalties on those who publish their images on social media. DeMaio told Fox News Digital the bill amounts to criminalizing investigative journalism and works to “silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.”

“What does the Stop Nick Shirley Act do? It basically makes it illegal for a citizen journalist to document fraud of taxpayer money and post that on the internet in the form of an internet video,” he said.

Newsom signed the bill into law last week, and it is set to take effect Oct. 1. DeMaio told Fox News Digital that he and a “coalition of civil liberty protectors” are prepared to file a lawsuit challenging the law.

DEMS RIPPED FOR ‘STOP NICK SHIRLEY ACT’ THAT COULD ‘SHIELD’ FRAUD AND ABUSE IN CALIFORNIA

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at Schafer Park Elementary School in Hayward, Calif., on Aug. 19, 2026.(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“We have a plaintiff and are putting together the legal briefs,” he said, adding, “It is a matter of time before we’re going to get before a judge to stop this act.”

“It is our hope,” he continued, “that the U.S. Department of Justice will file to intervene in that case, because this is an open-and-shut infringement on our First Amendment rights.”

DeMaio said California’s fraud scandal makes the Minnesota fraud look like “garden variety government mismanagement.”

“If you were worried about Somali daycare centers in Minnesota not having children in the daycare, take a look at California government NGOs receiving taxpayer funds and not having any sort of public services that they’re delivering,” he said. “They say they provide public services to immigrants when, in fact, they organize rallies, they harvest ballots, they endorse candidates and ballot measures during campaigns, and they are an extension of the Democrat Party.”

DeMaio said the planned lawsuit follows discussions with the Justice Department’s Office for Civil Rights.

NICK SHIRLEY WARNS CALIFORNIA BILL COULD PUNISH PEOPLE TRYING TO EXPOSE GOVERNMENT FRAUD

Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio speaks during a California State Assembly meeting at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 21, 2025. (

“I have asked the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights to look at the Stop Nick Shirley Act … to see if they can do anything to intervene to prevent the implementation of this law. We have been dialoguing with the Department of Justice, and now we have a game plan as to how we will proceed forward in the courts to overturn this unconstitutional law,” he said.

Addressing Newsom directly, DeMaio said, “Gavin Newsom, once again, you’re a bully trying to silence citizen watchdogs into not exercising their First Amendment rights and exposing your fraud, the billions of dollars that you’ve allowed to be wasted of precious taxpayer funds, all because you want the benefit of these left-wing NGOs to help you politically.”

DeMaio said Newsom and California’s Democratic supermajority “created such a monumental problem with fraud of taxpayer money being abused that it’s clear that it is intentional.”

“You’re going to be exposed as a bully,” he told Newsom. “You’re going to be exposed as the fraud ringleader.”

SEE IT: LA DEM CANDIDATES TORCHED BY DISGUSTED RESIDENTS AFTER ‘DISGRACEFUL’ DEBATE: ‘BOTH BAD’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center, discusses a proposed special election to redraw the state’s congressional districts during a news conference in Sacramento on Aug. 8, 2025.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

In response, Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo told Fox News Digital that “this law has nothing to do with Nick Shirley” and that “the real controversy here is that MAGA Republicans are either lying to create up fake conspiracy theories, or none of them know how to read.”

Crofts-Pelayo said the law does not affect Shirley’s journalism, which Newsom’s office previously referred to as “grifting” and “lying,” and does not hide fraud.

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She said the bill does not impact Shirley’s journalism, which Newsom’s office previously referred to as “grifting” and “lying,” and said the measure does not hide fraud.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, both Democrats, for comment.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

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冰岛公投否决重启入欧谈判

2026年8月30日 17:25 / 联合早报

8月30日，冰岛民众在首都雷克雅未克观看全民公投初步结果。 （路透社）

冰岛选民在星期天（8月30日）的全民公投中，否决重启加入欧洲联盟的谈判，使政府推动入欧的计划受挫，也暂时为这个争论多年的议题画上句点。

冰岛国家广播公司RUV报道，反对重启谈判的一方在公投中胜出。反对阵营认为，加入欧盟可能削弱冰岛的主权，并威胁对渔业资源和海域的控制。渔业长期是冰岛经济命脉之一，因此成为这次公投最受关注的议题。

支持入欧者则认为，加入欧盟有助冰岛加强经济和安全保障，包括缓解高利率压力，并在俄乌战争持续、国际局势动荡以及美国总统特朗普多次谈及吞并格陵兰的背景下，为冰岛提供更稳定的战略依托。

首相弗罗斯塔多蒂尔（Kristrun Frostadottir）此前把这次公投形容为决定是否重启入欧进程的关键时刻，并表示，如果选民投下反对票，政府将搁置有关加入欧盟的讨论。

冰岛过去也曾尝试加入欧盟。2009年全球金融危机重创冰岛经济后，政府正式申请加入欧盟，但随着国内反欧情绪升温，相关谈判在2013年由后来的疑欧派政府终止。

近年欧洲安全局势恶化，加上中东冲突和美国关税政策带来的经济不确定性，再次推动冰岛国内讨论是否应更靠近欧盟。部分欧盟官员也把冰岛视为较容易吸纳的新成员，希望借此提振欧盟扩大的动力，并在北极安全日益受到重视之际加强欧盟的战略影响力。

不过，这次公投结果显示，尽管外部安全和经济环境发生变化，许多冰岛选民仍不愿以放弃部分政策自主权，尤其是渔业控制权，作为加入欧盟的代价。

“安大略湖，直到永远”——安大略湖畔竖起巨型展示牌回呛特朗普

2026年8月30日 17:28 / 联合早报

加拿大安大略湖畔星期六（8月29日）竖起巨型展示牌，向外界宣示“安大略湖，现在如此，永远如此”，回呛美国总理特朗普：谁也别想擅自为湖更名！安大略湖是北美洲五大湖中面积最小的一个，横跨加拿大安大略省和美国纽约州。特朗普两天前签署行政命令要把这片湖更名为“美国湖”。 （路透社）

（多伦多讯）加拿大安大略省省长福特星期六在加拿大一侧的安大略湖畔竖起大型展示牌，向世人宣告：“安大略湖，现在如此，永远如此”，以反击美国总统特朗普要任意将安大略湖改名为“美国湖”的决定。

特朗普星期四（8月27日）签署行政命令，把横跨美国纽约州与加拿大安大略省的“安大略湖”（Lake Ontario）更名为“美国湖”，并称命令立即生效。他还在社媒发布AI视频，画面显示，他将“安大略湖”展示牌一脚踢倒，换上一块写着“欢迎来到美国湖”的牌子。

福特星期六（29日）在安大略湖畔为展示牌揭幕。他说：“早在特朗普总统出现之前，这片湖就叫‘安大略湖’。在他卸任许久以后，它仍称为‘安大略湖’。”

他也说，特朗普之所以要更改湖名，是因为他“不喜欢安大略省和加拿大挺身维护自身立场”。

与安大略湖接壤的纽约州，州长霍楚也已表明：“不会把安大略湖叫做美国湖”。

安大略湖在美加贸易谈判破裂之际无端被卷入其中。美国对价值200亿加元（约183亿新元）的加拿大商品加征50%关税，加拿大则计划下月实施对等反制关税。

这已不是特朗普首次擅自为共享国际水域更名。2025年入主白宫后不久，他也曾签署行政命令，将“墨西哥湾”更名为“美国湾”。

“安大略湖，直到永远”——安大略湖畔竖起巨型展示牌回呛特朗普

2026年8月30日 17:28 / 联合早报

加拿大安大略湖畔星期六（8月29日）竖起巨型展示牌，向外界宣示“安大略湖，现在如此，永远如此”，回呛美国总理特朗普：谁也别想擅自为湖更名！安大略湖是北美洲五大湖中面积最小的一个，横跨加拿大安大略省和美国纽约州。特朗普两天前签署行政命令要把这片湖更名为“美国湖”。 （路透社）

（多伦多讯）加拿大安大略省省长福特星期六在加拿大一侧的安大略湖畔竖起大型展示牌，向世人宣告：“安大略湖，现在如此，永远如此”，以反击美国总统特朗普要任意将安大略湖改名为“美国湖”的决定。

特朗普星期四（8月27日）签署行政命令，把横跨美国纽约州与加拿大安大略省的“安大略湖”（Lake Ontario）更名为“美国湖”，并称命令立即生效。他还在社媒发布AI视频，画面显示，他将“安大略湖”展示牌一脚踢倒，换上一块写着“欢迎来到美国湖”的牌子。

福特星期六（29日）在安大略湖畔为展示牌揭幕。他说：“早在特朗普总统出现之前，这片湖就叫‘安大略湖’。在他卸任许久以后，它仍称为‘安大略湖’。”

他也说，特朗普之所以要更改湖名，是因为他“不喜欢安大略省和加拿大挺身维护自身立场”。

与安大略湖接壤的纽约州，州长霍楚也已表明：“不会把安大略湖叫做美国湖”。

安大略湖在美加贸易谈判破裂之际无端被卷入其中。美国对价值200亿加元（约183亿新元）的加拿大商品加征50%关税，加拿大则计划下月实施对等反制关税。

这已不是特朗普首次擅自为共享国际水域更名。2025年入主白宫后不久，他也曾签署行政命令，将“墨西哥湾”更名为“美国湾”。

Iceland votes against plan to resume EU membership talks in referendum

2026-08-30T04:50:00-0400 / CBS News

Icelanders have rejected plans to resume negotiations to join the European Union more than a decade after previous talks stalled, the national broadcaster reported Sunday.

In a vote held Saturday, 52.8 percent of Icelanders rejected the resumption of EU entry talks suspended 13 years ago, while 47.2 percent voted ‘Yes’, according to the official tally published by RUV, the public broadcaster.

“The nation rejects accession negotiations with the EU,” RUV wrote.

The small North Atlantic island is already a close ally of the EU, as a member of the European Economic Area and the Schengen zone, which in practical terms allows easier movement of people, capital, goods and services. Norway and Liechtenstein are the only other European countries which share the same relationship with the EU.

The country of just under 400,000 people applied to join the EU in the wake of a 2009 financial crisis that devastated its economy.

The vote will put the long-debated issue to rest for the second time. A euroskeptic government ended EU talks in 2015.

Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, moved up the EU referendum it had planned for next year after President Trump mistakenly named the country four times while speaking about his designs on Greenland.

It was a simple yes-or-no question for roughly 265,000 eligible voters: Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?

Opponents rallied around fishing and the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that inevitably come with full membership. They argued that Iceland’s voice would be muted in the large European Parliament and that it would be better off cutting its own trade deals, such as one with China.

Backers said EU membership would lower inflation and interest rates, and the euro would bring more stability than Iceland’s volatile króna. They said it was also in the nation’s interest to get closer to its European neighbors to tackle issues that don’t respect borders, such as climate change.

美国弑子案掀用药争议 精神疾病为何难找到“对的药”？

2026年8月30日 18:09 / 联合早报

• 美国护士克兰西被控杀害三名子女，辩方称其患产后精神病且多重用药致失常，控方指其清楚行为并未遵医嘱。 – 克兰西起诉治疗医生诊断错误及用药混乱致其发病；专家指出精神疾病复杂，治疗过程同样复杂且难以精准。 – 精神科缺乏客观检测手段，医生需综合病史症状判断；研究显示约三分之一重度抑郁患者对两种抗抑郁药无反应。 – 医学界尝试用药物基因检测辅助个性化治疗，但专家强调该检测无法直接确定有效药物，用药仍需因人而异调整。

克兰西于8月28日在美国马萨诸塞州普利茅斯高等法院出庭，陪审团当天进入第二天审议。 （路透社）

美国一名母亲被控杀害三名年幼子女的案件，近日进入结案陈词阶段。案发前，她曾接受精神治疗，并多次更换药物，这也成为辩控双方争论的重点。

这起悲剧再次让外界关注到一个问题：精神疾病的诊断和用药并不简单。治疗抑郁、焦虑等问题时，医生为什么常常不能一次就找到最适合患者的药物？

美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，36岁的美国护士克兰西（Lindsay Clancy）被控于2023年在马萨诸塞州家中勒死三名年幼子女，随后割腕、割喉并从二楼跳下。

庭审期间，辩方主张克兰西案发时患有产后精神病，并因接受多种精神科药物治疗而陷入精神失常，不应负刑事责任；控方则认为，克兰西清楚自己的行为，也曾误导治疗人员及没有按医嘱服药。

克兰西后来还起诉曾为她治疗的医生，指对方没有正确诊断病情，反而让她接受混乱且缺乏协调的多重用药治疗，最终导致严重精神病发作。

没有参与此案的纽约西奈山伊坎医学院精神病学教授戈德堡指出，这起案件提醒人们：严重精神疾病本身很复杂，治疗过程同样复杂。

美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据显示，接近两成美国成年人正在服用药物治疗精神健康问题。常见药物包括抗抑郁药、抗焦虑药、情绪稳定剂和兴奋剂等。不同药物作用于大脑不同的神经传导机制，见效时间也不一样。

比如，常用于治疗抑郁和焦虑的选择性血清素再摄取抑制剂，也就是SSRI，通常需要服用四到八周，效果才会比较明显；情绪稳定剂也可能要几周才起效。相比之下，有些抗焦虑药和兴奋剂见效较快，但部分抗焦虑药可能让人产生依赖，所以一般只适合短期使用。

精神科治疗的难点在于，目前不像一些其他医学领域那样，可以广泛依靠影像检查或实验室检测，直接确定诊断并找到最合适的药物。医生通常要综合了解患者的病史、症状、是否使用酒精或其他物质，以及有没有妄想、幻觉、自杀风险等情况，再决定治疗方向。开始服药后，医生也往往需要根据患者对自身感受的描述，来判断药物是否有效。

即使两名患者都被诊断为重度抑郁症，背后的心理、生理或遗传因素也可能完全不同；症状还可能随着时间变化。因此，医生有时需要调整剂量、更换药物，甚至同时搭配几种药物。

研究显示，近三分之一的重度抑郁症患者，对至少两种抗抑郁药没有明显反应；约一半的广泛性焦虑症患者，对一线治疗的效果也不理想。

目前，医学界也在尝试利用脑部影像和药物基因检测，让治疗更个性化。药物基因检测可以分析基因如何影响人体吸收和代谢药物，帮助医生判断哪些药物可能更适合患者。

不过专家也强调，这类检测还不能直接告诉医生，哪一种药一定有效。

戈德堡形容，精神科用药与其说是“不断试错”，不如说是在一次次缩小范围，慢慢接近最适合患者的治疗方案。每个人的病情表现不同，所以真正有效的治疗，也必须因人而异。

美国弑子案掀用药争议 精神疾病为何难找到“对的药”？

2026年8月30日 18:09 / 联合早报

克兰西于8月28日在美国马萨诸塞州普利茅斯高等法院出庭，陪审团当天进入第二天审议。 （路透社）

美国一名母亲被控杀害三名年幼子女的案件，近日进入结案陈词阶段。案发前，她曾接受精神治疗，并多次更换药物，这也成为辩控双方争论的重点。

这起悲剧再次让外界关注到一个问题：精神疾病的诊断和用药并不简单。治疗抑郁、焦虑等问题时，医生为什么常常不能一次就找到最适合患者的药物？

美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，36岁的美国护士克兰西（Lindsay Clancy）被控于2023年在马萨诸塞州家中勒死三名年幼子女，随后割腕、割喉并从二楼跳下。

庭审期间，辩方主张克兰西案发时患有产后精神病，并因接受多种精神科药物治疗而陷入精神失常，不应负刑事责任；控方则认为，克兰西清楚自己的行为，也曾误导治疗人员及没有按医嘱服药。

克兰西后来还起诉曾为她治疗的医生，指对方没有正确诊断病情，反而让她接受混乱且缺乏协调的多重用药治疗，最终导致严重精神病发作。

没有参与此案的纽约西奈山伊坎医学院精神病学教授戈德堡指出，这起案件提醒人们：严重精神疾病本身很复杂，治疗过程同样复杂。

美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据显示，接近两成美国成年人正在服用药物治疗精神健康问题。常见药物包括抗抑郁药、抗焦虑药、情绪稳定剂和兴奋剂等。不同药物作用于大脑不同的神经传导机制，见效时间也不一样。

比如，常用于治疗抑郁和焦虑的选择性血清素再摄取抑制剂，也就是SSRI，通常需要服用四到八周，效果才会比较明显；情绪稳定剂也可能要几周才起效。相比之下，有些抗焦虑药和兴奋剂见效较快，但部分抗焦虑药可能让人产生依赖，所以一般只适合短期使用。

精神科治疗的难点在于，目前不像一些其他医学领域那样，可以广泛依靠影像检查或实验室检测，直接确定诊断并找到最合适的药物。医生通常要综合了解患者的病史、症状、是否使用酒精或其他物质，以及有没有妄想、幻觉、自杀风险等情况，再决定治疗方向。开始服药后，医生也往往需要根据患者对自身感受的描述，来判断药物是否有效。

即使两名患者都被诊断为重度抑郁症，背后的心理、生理或遗传因素也可能完全不同；症状还可能随着时间变化。因此，医生有时需要调整剂量、更换药物，甚至同时搭配几种药物。

研究显示，近三分之一的重度抑郁症患者，对至少两种抗抑郁药没有明显反应；约一半的广泛性焦虑症患者，对一线治疗的效果也不理想。

目前，医学界也在尝试利用脑部影像和药物基因检测，让治疗更个性化。药物基因检测可以分析基因如何影响人体吸收和代谢药物，帮助医生判断哪些药物可能更适合患者。

不过专家也强调，这类检测还不能直接告诉医生，哪一种药一定有效。

戈德堡形容，精神科用药与其说是“不断试错”，不如说是在一次次缩小范围，慢慢接近最适合患者的治疗方案。每个人的病情表现不同，所以真正有效的治疗，也必须因人而异。

日本高档养老院 入住费逾百万新元依然爆满

2026年8月30日 18:19 / 联合早报 符祝慧 东京特派员

• 日本高档养老院首期入住费逾百万新元，多方资本积极布局，尽管费用昂贵但入住率普遍保持在九成以上。 – 日本老年群体持有约六成家财，不少海外富裕老人回国养老推高需求，住户多为拥有丰厚房产的企业家等。 – 行业分析师指许多海外富裕人士在日无合适房产，与其高价购置新公寓，不如直接入住服务完善的高档机构。 – 养老机构按健康状况细分服务并配专业医护，政府鼓励赞助大学开展失智症照护研发，以应对独身老人增多。

日本高档养老院以服务制胜，有养老院将内部设计成游轮，护工穿海员制服，让无法出远门的老人有在船上度假的氛围。 （符祝慧摄）

尽管日本正面临护理人力短缺的挑战，但能够提供全面优质服务的高档养老院却被视为前景广阔的朝阳行业。目前，包括房地产、铁路、金融乃至教育界在内的多方资本，均在积极布局这一高档养老市场。

《日本经济新闻》公布的日本十大“亿日元级”高档养老院榜单显示，这类顶级养老设施的首期入住费介于1亿5560万至2亿3088万日元（约124万至184万新元）之间。

日本老年人是相对富裕的群体。官方数据显示，截至今年3月，日本家庭金融资产总额高达2386万亿日元，其中约60%为60岁以上的老年群体所拥有。

因此，尽管高档养老院的首期入住费与每月管理费极其昂贵，但市场需求异常强劲，入住率普遍保持在90%以上。

报道指出，日本高档养老院的住户多为拥有丰厚房产的企业家与大学教授。近年来，不少长期定居海外的日本富裕老人选择回国度过晚年，进一步推高对高档养老设施的需求。

位于神户的高档养老院Trust Grace御影”被评为日本价位最高的养老设施，首期入住费高达2亿3088万日元。

这家养老院占地2万2000平方米，园区内配有露天游泳池、影音室以及高尔夫球练习草坪。院内设有217个房间，最大户型是一套133平方米的三室两厅公寓。

行业分析师指出，许多在海外生活多年的富裕人士在日本并无房产；即便保有房产，也因长期空置或面积过大而不适合高龄独居。对这些富豪而言，与其高价购置新公寓，不如直接入住服务完善的高档养老机构。

一名特地从海外回国预约高档养老院的70岁老先生说：“我开始感到身体机能正在衰退，担心年纪渐长后外语沟通不便。回到日本养老不仅能讲母语，而且日本医疗资源丰富，能让我感到安心。”

考虑到独身及无子女的健康老人也日益增多，日本养老机构普遍将服务细分为“健康型”“居住型”与“辅助型”，并根据入住者的健康状况动态调整护理级别。

高档养老院的护理楼层配有24小时值班的专业护士及院内诊所。日本政府目前也积极鼓励资本雄厚的高档养老院赞助大学，开展包括失智症照护在内的前沿医疗研发。

85岁的山下正弘七年前与妻子（74岁）一同搬进养老院。山下正弘在大阪拥有一栋出租公寓，由于膝下无子，他意识到须要妥善安排晚年，在考察了近10家养老院后，最终选定一套约100平方米的两室一厅一厨的单位。

山下正弘说：“我要趁自己身体还健康、头脑还清醒时，亲自选择心仪的终点站。我看重的不是设施有多豪华，而是日常生活的安全感。养老院的工作人员能随时提供生活上的帮助，还能陪我们去医院就诊。”

No, Iran is not winning: In Act IV of the war, it’s losing its leverage in Hormuz

2026-08-30T10:30:29.179Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/30/politics/iran-losing-leverage-hormuz-mcgurk

Brett McGurk is a CNN global affairs analyst who served in senior national security positions under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

A conventional wisdom has begun to settle over the war with Iran: Iran won.

The argument is straightforward. The US and Israel bombed Iran for weeks, inflicted enormous damage, and demanded major concessions. Iran refused to surrender. Its government remains in power. Its missiles remain a threat across the region. And most important, Tehran still has the ability to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, imposing higher energy costs on the US and much of the world. Over the summer, Trump warned of a global depression if the Strait remained shut.

That’s a strong argument. But it may have proved premature.

Wars are contests of leverage and endurance. And the contest now looks very different from even a few months ago.

The arc of this six-month conflict has proceeded in four acts. Act One began with intensive airstrikes on February 28 and lasted through six weeks of high-intensity military operations. Act Two began with the April 7 ceasefire and negotiations, culminating with the June 17 MOU signed by Trump and Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Act Three began weeks later when Iran chose once again to target commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to another tit-for-tat military exchange.

That was the moment calls rose for the US effectively to give up and cede control of the Strait to Iran. The United States appeared to be out of options.

Not so fast.

Since mid-July, the US has reimposed its military blockade on Iranian ports and sanctions on Iran’s oil trade. In parallel, the U.S. military has worked tirelessly to clear shipping lanes and help protect commercial ships transiting the Strait. The result has been an effective blockade on Iranian oil shipments, with global shipments recovering and energy prices remaining remarkably stable. Bloomberg reported this week that oil flows through the Strait have recovered to 2/3 of pre-war levels.

That means pressure is now compounding on Iran, and not the US. And if Iran loses its ability to hold the Strait hostage, its leverage dissipates rapidly.

Iran entered the war weakened by years of sanctions and economic mismanagement. Its position today is considerably worse.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Iran’s economy is expected to contract by more than 5% this year, with inflation approaching 70%. The value of Iran’s currency has fallen sharply. Prices for basic goods have soared. An Iranian Labor Ministry official recently estimated that more than one million jobs disappeared during the first three months of the war alone.

These statistics matter because Iran’s ability to sustain the conflict ultimately depends on more than its remaining missile arsenal. Before the war, the Iranian regime confronted unprecedented public pressure against its repressive rule and failing economy. Thousands of Iranians were reportedly killed in the streets.

A better American strategy from the start may have been an economic campaign to support the Iranian people demanding change. The first act of the war — removing most of Iran’s leaders — resulted in consolidation by the Revolutionary Guards and further crackdowns against the majority of Iranians that oppose their rule.

But the Guards require resources to rule by force, and this new fourth act — a military embargo — is something that Iran has never confronted before. Indeed, this is the first time since the 1979 Revolution that Iran has faced a quarantine on its economic lifeline through Hormuz.

Their way out is to stop threatening ships in the Strait and abandon what’s left of its mostly destroyed enrichment program. That’s a deal Trump would accept. Doing either, however, from the vantage point of the Guards would show weakness and threaten their rule.

Tehran may seek to fight its way out of this noose. Its strategy through the first three acts was clear: threaten commerce in the Strait, raise energy prices globally and gasoline prices in the US, increase global economic pressure and ultimately force Trump to back down, particularly with midterm elections approaching.

Iran has also targeted the energy infrastructure of the Gulf states and could do so again. Its proxy force in Yemen, the Houthis, have threatened to shut down commerce through the Red Sea with Iranian missiles and drones.

All that would mean resorting to the same tactics from the early acts of the war. Strategically, it has not worked for Iran. The Gulf states are not happy with the war, but most do not support giving in to Iran’s extortionist demands in the Strait. Iran’s attempts to close the Strait with drones and mines are also now — for the first time — failing.

So, I would not discount the risk of an Iranian escalation as the economic pressure builds. But it may not be enough at this stage to reduce that pressure. Trump appears far more committed than Iranian leaders apparently presumed.

Iranian leaders and many Western analysts project immunity to pressure. Iran will never surrender its nuclear program or the Strait of Hormuz. Or its terrorist proxies around the region.

That’s something we all must accept as a fact of life in the Middle East, according to Tehran.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi argued last week that the blockade and sanctions pressure are “bound to fail” just as all other campaigns, he said, had failed to change Iranian policy.

I used to hear the same thing from experts about ISIS, when I was leading the campaign to defeat the group. And Hamas, when negotiating to free the hostages held in Gaza.

In fact, everyone has a breaking point. Iran thought it had found Trump’s. Trump may yet find theirs. It’s too early to call.

This contest in some form may last through the end of Trump’s presidency and beyond. It’s been ongoing for nearly five decades.

The earlier acts in this war were mired from the US side by shifting and ill-defined objectives, widely careening positions, and inconsistent statements.

But Act Four seems different. The US military has a clear objective as outlined this week by the commander of CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper. It is enforcing the blockade on Iran and facilitating the movement of commercial traffic.

The objective for the US should be similarly well-defined. Iran must abandon claims on the Strait and give up the nuclear enrichment program. Until then, this will be the new status quo.

And that status quo — perhaps for the first time since the war began — now favors Washington, not Tehran.

日本高档养老院 入住费逾百万新元依然爆满

2026年8月30日 18:19 / 联合早报 符祝慧 东京特派员

• 日本高档养老院首期入住费逾百万新元，多方资本积极布局，尽管费用昂贵但入住率普遍保持在九成以上。 – 日本老年群体持有约六成家财，不少海外富裕老人回国养老推高需求，住户多为拥有丰厚房产的企业家等。 – 行业分析师指许多海外富裕人士在日无合适房产，与其高价购置新公寓，不如直接入住服务完善的高档机构。 – 养老机构按健康状况细分服务并配专业医护，政府鼓励赞助大学开展失智症照护研发，以应对独身老人增多。

日本高档养老院以服务制胜，有养老院将内部设计成游轮，护工穿海员制服，让无法出远门的老人有在船上度假的氛围。 （符祝慧摄）

尽管日本正面临护理人力短缺的挑战，但能够提供全面优质服务的高档养老院却被视为前景广阔的朝阳行业。目前，包括房地产、铁路、金融乃至教育界在内的多方资本，均在积极布局这一高档养老市场。

《日本经济新闻》公布的日本十大“亿日元级”高档养老院榜单显示，这类顶级养老设施的首期入住费介于1亿5560万至2亿3088万日元（约124万至184万新元）之间。

日本老年人是相对富裕的群体。官方数据显示，截至今年3月，日本家庭金融资产总额高达2386万亿日元，其中约60%为60岁以上的老年群体所拥有。

因此，尽管高档养老院的首期入住费与每月管理费极其昂贵，但市场需求异常强劲，入住率普遍保持在90%以上。

报道指出，日本高档养老院的住户多为拥有丰厚房产的企业家与大学教授。近年来，不少长期定居海外的日本富裕老人选择回国度过晚年，进一步推高对高档养老设施的需求。

位于神户的高档养老院Trust Grace御影”被评为日本价位最高的养老设施，首期入住费高达2亿3088万日元。

这家养老院占地2万2000平方米，园区内配有露天游泳池、影音室以及高尔夫球练习草坪。院内设有217个房间，最大户型是一套133平方米的三室两厅公寓。

行业分析师指出，许多在海外生活多年的富裕人士在日本并无房产；即便保有房产，也因长期空置或面积过大而不适合高龄独居。对这些富豪而言，与其高价购置新公寓，不如直接入住服务完善的高档养老机构。

一名特地从海外回国预约高档养老院的70岁老先生说：“我开始感到身体机能正在衰退，担心年纪渐长后外语沟通不便。回到日本养老不仅能讲母语，而且日本医疗资源丰富，能让我感到安心。”

考虑到独身及无子女的健康老人也日益增多，日本养老机构普遍将服务细分为“健康型”“居住型”与“辅助型”，并根据入住者的健康状况动态调整护理级别。

高档养老院的护理楼层配有24小时值班的专业护士及院内诊所。日本政府目前也积极鼓励资本雄厚的高档养老院赞助大学，开展包括失智症照护在内的前沿医疗研发。

85岁的山下正弘七年前与妻子（74岁）一同搬进养老院。山下正弘在大阪拥有一栋出租公寓，由于膝下无子，他意识到须要妥善安排晚年，在考察了近10家养老院后，最终选定一套约100平方米的两室一厅一厨的单位。

山下正弘说：“我要趁自己身体还健康、头脑还清醒时，亲自选择心仪的终点站。我看重的不是设施有多豪华，而是日常生活的安全感。养老院的工作人员能随时提供生活上的帮助，还能陪我们去医院就诊。”